Water Detail - Madden Br, Galena River Watershed (GP01)

Madden Br, Galena River Watershed (GP01)

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Madden Br (939100)

Size

7.69 Miles

Segment

0 - 7.69

Natural Community

Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results that use predicted flow and temperature based on landscape features and related assumptions. Ranges of flow and temperature associated with specific aquatic life communities (fish, macroinvertebrates) help biologists identify appropriate resource management goals. Wisconsin Natural Communities.

Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem

Year Last Monitored

This is the most recent date of monitoring data stored in SWIMS. Additional surveys for fish and habitat may be available subsequent to this date.

2017

General Condition

Poor

This river is impaired

Impairments include

Degraded Biological Community

Pollutants include

Unknown Pollutant

County

Lafayette

Trout Water

Trout Waters are represented by Class I, Class II or Class III waters. These classes have specific ecological characteristics and management actions associated with them. For more information regarding Trout Classifications, see the Fisheries Trout Class Webpages.

Outstanding or Exceptional

Wisconsin has designated many of the state's highest quality waters as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs) or Exceptional Resource Waters (ERWs). Waters designated as ORW or ERW are surface waters which provide outstanding recreational opportunities, support valuable fisheries and wildlife habitat, have good water quality, and are not significantly impacted by human activities. ORW and ERW status identifies waters that the State of Wisconsin has determined warrant additional protection from the effects of pollution. These designations are intended to meet federal Clean Water Act obligations requiring Wisconsin to adopt an 'antidegradation' policy that is designed to prevent any lowering of water quality - especially in those waters having significant ecological or cultural value.

Impaired Water

A water is polluted or 'impaired' if it does not support full use by humans, wildlife, fish and other aquatic life and it is shown that one or more of the pollutant criteria are not met.

Yes

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use

The use the water currently supports. This is not a designation or classification; it is based on the current condition of the water. Information in this column is not designed for, and should not be used for, regulatory purposes.

Restricted Aquatic Life

Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.

Attainable Use

The use that the investigator believes the water could achieve through managing "controllable" sources. Beaver dams, hydroelectric dams, low gradient streams, and naturally occurring low flows are generally not considered controllable. The attainable use may be the same as the current use or it may be higher.

WWSF

Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent sport fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.

Designated Use

This is the water classification legally recognized by NR102 and NR104, Wis. Adm. Code. The classification determines water quality criteria and effluent limits. Waters obtain designated uses through classification procedures.

Default FAL

Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Overview

Madden Branch, an 8 mile long tributary to the Galena River in Lafayette County, has historically served as a smallmouth bass fishery with abundant non-game fish. Surveys conducted since 2006 found the presence of smallmouth bass, particularly in the lower section, and a non-game fishery indicative of a coolwater fishery. Streambank pasturing and manure runoff are threats to this stream which also serves as a nursery for young-of-the year and juvenile smallmouth bass.

Date 2010

Author James Amrhein

Overview

Madden Branch is a tributary to the Galena River in Lafayette County. The stream has a history of water quality problems including runoff event-related dissolved oxygen problems, excessive nutrient loading, and sediment loading. Priority Watershed non-point source project evaluation monitoring indicated that reaches of Madden Branch, which had installed BMPs, had improved instream habitat, particularly for smallmouth bass (Kroner,et.al., 1992). Although the stream showes signs of improvements between 1982 and 1992 as a result of these BMPs, the other uncontrolled non-point sources of pollution to the creek have negated these improvements and continue to cause water quality impairment. A study done by USGS on Madden Branch near Meekers Grove showed the stream carries a median unit-area load of sediment of 462 tons per square mile with a maximum load of 684 tons of sediment per square mile. The same study showed the stream receiving a median unit-area load of 1,520 pounds of phosphorus per square mile with a maximum loading of 2,290 pounds per square mile (Corsi, et.al, 1997).

Date 2001

Author Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Madden Branch is classified as a warm water drainage stream. It flows southwesterly into the Fever River (Galena). There is a considerable amount of bank erosion during periods of high runoff. Three tributary streams, totaling 2.8 cfs., enter at various points along its length. Beardsley Lake, the only private fish hatchery (1966) in the county, is located on the headwaters of one of these tributaries. Its location is T2N, R2E, Section 5 and has an area of 17.2 acres. Presently, it is part of a privately owned campground. Facilities include rifle range, boats for rent, tent and trailer camping, picnic tables, swimming and fishing. The principal fishery in Madden Branch consists of a good populationofsmallmouth bass and abundant forage fishes. Gravel is found in the stream bed throughout its entire length with silt as the most common bottom type in the smaller tributaries. Nearly the whole watershed is cleared land used for agricultural purposes. Game assets are limited to upland birds and mammals but some muskrats and waterfowl utilize the stream. There is no public ownership of land in the watershed and public access is confined to road bridges located throughout the stream's length.

Madden Branch, T2N, R1E, Sections 22-14, Surface acres = 1.4, Miles = 7.0, Gradient = 24.3 feet per mile, Total alkalinity= 268 mg/l, Volume of flow = 5.3 cfs.

From: Piening, Ronald; Poff, Ronald; Threinen, C.W., 1967. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Lafayette County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date 1967

Author Aquatic Biologist

Madden Br, Galena River Watershed (GP01) Fish and Aquatic Life

Madden Br, Galena River Watershed (GP01) Recreation

Madden Br, Galena River Watershed (GP01) Fish Consumption

Impaired Waters

Madden Branch (939100) was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; biological impairment was observed (i.e. at least one macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) average scored in the poor condition category).

Date 2015

Author Aaron Larson

Condition

Wisconsin has over 84,000 miles of streams, 15,000 lakes and milllions of acres of wetlands. Assessing the condition of this vast amount of water is challenging. The state's water monitoring program uses a media-based, cross-program approach to analyze water condition. An updated monitoring strategy (2015-2020) is now available. Compliance with Clean Water Act fishable, swimmable standards are located in the Executive Summary of Water Condition in 2018. See also the 'monitoring and projects' tab.

Reports

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List

Madden Br, Madden Branch Creek - Knee Deep Rd. (Bi), Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Galena River Watershed Plan (GP01)

AN ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY IN THE GALENA RIVER WATERSHED, 2007 2008, LAFAYETTE AND GRANT COUNTIES, PROJECT SCR04-08

Galena River Watershed Survey (2007-08)

Recommendations

Monitor Baseline Survey

Conduct baseline monitoring on the Madden Branch to assess current status of instream habitat, macroinvertebrate communities, and fish communities.

Management Goals

Wisconsin's Water Quality Standards provide qualitative and quantitative goals for waters that are protective of Fishable, Swimmable conditions [Learn more]. Waters that do not meet water quality standards are considered impaired and restoration actions are planned and carried out until the water is once again fishable and swimmable

Management goals can include creation or implementation of a Total Maximum Daily Load analysis, a Nine Key Element Plan, or other restoration work, education and outreach and more. If specific recommendations exist for this water, they will be displayed below online.

Monitoring

Monitoring the condition of a river, stream, or lake includes gathering physical, chemical, biological, and habitat data. Comprehensive studies often gather all these parameters in great detail, while lighter assessment events will involve sampling physical, chemical and biological data such as macroinvertebrates. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish communities integrate watershed or catchment condition, providing great insight into overall ecosystem health. Chemical and habitat parameters tell researchers more about human induced problems including contaminated runoff, point source dischargers, or habitat issues that foster or limit the potential of aquatic communities to thrive in a given area. Wisconsin's Water Monitoring Strategy was recenty updated.

Grants and Management Projects

Project Name (Click for Details)	Year Started

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
939100	Madden Br	333088	Madden Branch Creek at Red School Rd	10/15/1980	9/30/1982	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	333103	Madden Branch Creek - Sth 81 (Bi)	10/31/1979	1/1/2015	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	333245	Madden Branch Creek - Madden Branch(Bridge)			Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	333225	Galena River (Madden Br) - Knee Deep Rd	8/22/1990	9/11/1990	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	10015918	Madden Branch - 200 Yrds Downstream Of Red Schoolroad (Next To Gravel Pit)	10/25/1985	10/26/1990	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	333222	Galena River (Madden Br) - Hwy 81	8/22/1990	9/11/1990	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	333098	Madden Branch Creek - Knee Deep Rd. (Bi)	4/25/1979	10/17/2017	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	10011322	Madden Branch Remap 010-Xb ( atCenter Drive Rd)			Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	333244	Madden Branch Creek - Madden Branch	7/17/2003	1/1/2015	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	10016123	Madden Br - 127 Lm 20 M Us Red School Rd	10/22/2002	1/1/2015	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	104451	Madden Branch			Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	333224	Galena River (Madden Br) - Red School Rd	8/22/1990	6/29/1998	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	10016120	Galena (Madden Branch) - 60 Ft Upstream From Bridge Redschool Rd	10/16/1990	4/29/1991	Map	Data
939100	Madden Br	333252	Madden Branch at Saint Peters Rd	10/26/1990	2/6/2005	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Madden Br is located in the Galena River watershed which is 241.84 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (63.10%), grassland (26.40%) and a mix of forest (5.70%) and other uses (4.60%). This watershed has 572.33 stream miles, 65.18 lake acres and 681.01 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Not Available for runoff impacts on lakes and High for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of High. This value can be used in ranking the watershed or individual waterbodies for grant funding under state and county programs.However, all waters are affected by diffuse pollutant sources regardless of initial water quality. Applications for specific runoff projects under state or county grant programs may be pursued. For more information, go to surface water program grants.

Natural Community

Madden Br is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem under the state's Natural Community Determinations.

Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results and DNR staff valiation processes that confirm or update predicted conditions based on flow and temperature modeling from historic and current landscape features and related variables. Predicated flow and temperatures for waters are associated predicated fish assemblages (communities). Biologists evaluate the model results against current survey data to determine if the modeled results are corect and whether biological indicators show water quaity degradation. This analysis is a core component of the state's resource management framework. Wisconsin's Riverine Natural Communities.

Cool (Cold-Transition) Mainstem streams are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are common to absent, mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to absent.

Cool (Cold-Transition) Headwaters are small, usually perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon (<10 per 100 m), transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.